Approaches - AQA Psychology in 20 MINS!

Summary

This video script offers a concise revision of psychological approaches, skipping comparisons but directing viewers to a dedicated comparison video. It covers the origins of psychology with Wundt's experimental methods, behaviorism with Pavlov and Skinner, social learning theory, cognitive psychology, biological influences, psychodynamic theory, and humanistic psychology. Each approach is briefly explained, including key figures, theories, and evaluations of their scientific validity and practical applications.

Takeaways

• 🔬 **Origins of Psychology**: Wilhelm Wundt is recognized as the father of experimental psychology, establishing the first psychological laboratory and using scientific methods to study the mind.
• 🧠 **Structuralism**: Wundt's approach to psychology involved introspection, where participants reported on their conscious experiences, leading to the development of theories about mental processes.
• 🐶 **Behaviorism**: Behaviorists like Pavlov and Skinner focused on observable behaviors and their environmental causes, using classical conditioning and operant conditioning to understand learning.
• 🔄 **Social Learning Theory (SLT)**: SLT expands on behaviorism by including cognitive processes and the influence of observing and imitating models, as demonstrated by Bandura's Bobo doll experiment.
• 💡 **Cognitive Approach**: Cognitive psychology examines internal mental processes like attention and memory, often using theoretical models and inferences to understand these unobservable processes.
• 🧬 **Biological Approach**: This approach considers the influence of biological structures, neurochemistry, and genetics on behavior, with advancements in scanning techniques allowing for direct observation of brain activity.
• 🌿 **Evolutionary Psychology**: It suggests that behaviors providing survival advantages are passed down through generations, with innate behaviors being selected for their adaptive benefits.
• 💭 **Psychodynamic Approach**: Freud's theory posits that the mind consists of conscious, preconscious, and unconscious parts, with early childhood experiences and defense mechanisms playing significant roles in personality development.
• 🌟 **Humanistic Psychology**: Humanistic psychologists emphasize personal agency, free will, and self-actualization, focusing on holistic approaches to understanding behavior rather than reductionist methods.
• 📈 **Evaluation of Approaches**: Each psychological approach has its strengths and limitations, with some being more scientifically rigorous due to their methods, while others offer valuable insights into human behavior despite methodological challenges.

Q & A

Who is considered the father of experimental psychology?

Wilhelm Wundt is considered the father of experimental psychology.

What was the significance of Wundt's establishment of the first psychological laboratory?

Wundt's establishment of the first psychological laboratory in Leipzig, Germany in the 1870s marked the beginning of psychology as an independent field of scientific research.

What was the main focus of Wundt's structuralism research?

Wundt's structuralism research focused on using introspection to study conscious experiences and sensations, feelings, and images.

How did behaviorist approaches differ from Wundt's structuralism?

Behaviorist approaches rejected the study of internal mental states and focused on observable behaviors and their relationships with environmental stimuli.

What are the key principles of Ivan Pavlov's classical conditioning?

Ivan Pavlov's classical conditioning involved learning by association, where a neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned stimulus that triggers a response after being repeatedly paired with an unconditioned stimulus.

How did BF Skinner's operant conditioning differ from classical conditioning?

BF Skinner's operant conditioning focused on learning by reinforcement, where behaviors are strengthened or weakened by their consequences.

What is the main criticism of behaviorist approaches?

A main criticism of behaviorist approaches is that they are overly reductionist and ignore complex cognitive processes that influence behavior.

What is social learning theory and how does it differ from behaviorism?

Social learning theory incorporates cognitive processes and argues that learning occurs through observation of others, not just through direct experience. It differs from behaviorism by acknowledging the role of attention, retention, reproduction, and motivation in learning.

What is cognitive psychology's primary area of research?

Cognitive psychology's primary area of research is the study of internal mental processes such as attention, perception, memory, and how information is processed in the mind.

How does cognitive neuroscience contribute to the understanding of mental processes?

Cognitive neuroscience contributes to the understanding of mental processes by examining the neurological structures and chemical processes in the brain that are linked to these processes.

What is the psychodynamic approach and who is its most famous proponent?

The psychodynamic approach focuses on the unconscious mind and its influence on behavior. Its most famous proponent is Sigmund Freud, who proposed theories about the structure of the mind, defense mechanisms, and psychosexual stages.

How does humanistic psychology contrast with other approaches?

Humanistic psychology emphasizes personal growth, self-actualization, and free will, contrasting with other approaches that focus on illness or reductionist explanations of behavior.